Australian politician quits over race slur

A senior political leader in Australian Prime Minister John Howard’s Liberal Party resigned today over a racial slur directed at the Malaysian-born wife of a former political rival.

John Brogden, leader of the Liberal Party in New South Wales state, apologised for recently calling Helena Carr, wife of the state’s former leader Bob Carr, a “mail-order bride”.

Brogden, seen as a rising star in the Liberal Party, announced his resignation as the party’s state leader at a news conference at the state legislature in Sydney.

“The comments I made were absolutely and completely inappropriate,” he said. “They are not true and I apologise for them fulsomely and genuinely.”

Announcing he would immediately step down as Liberal leader in New South Wales, Brogden added: “I acted dishonourably and now is the time to act honourably.”

He conceded that Carr and her husband both had every right to be angry.

“If somebody said this about Lucy, I would be furious,” Brogden said, referring to his wife.

He also apologised to two female journalists he accosted at the same function - asking one if she was “available” and pinching the other.

“My actions were in jest but that does not excuse the fact they were inappropriate actions,” he said.

Brogden’s resignation came after Carr, who retired last month, demanded that he go.

“I just think this guy’s got to be evacuated from the Liberal Party leadership by close of business today,” Carr told the Southern Cross Broadcasting network.

“I think that his apology is entirely unacceptable to Helena and that is the greatest insult not only to her but of every woman of Asian background.”

Howard also condemned the comments.

“That sort of comment is just quite wrong,” he told television’s Nine Network. “I know Helena Carr and she’s a very gracious person. That sort of comment should never have been made.”

At a news conference, Carr said Brogden’s comment, reportedly made after drinking at a conference for hotel owners in Sydney, insulted all Asian immigrants, not just his wife.

“Every Asian family in Australia has been diminished by John Brogden’s racism and it’s only taken three bottles of beer for what he thinks about Asian background people to come to the surface,” he said.